In the modern era of Hollywood, reboots, sequels, and superheroes seem to be the business model for filmmaking these days. A remake should only exist to enhance a film that has a strong premise but failed in execution, yet classics such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Ben-Hur have been butchered to add a few extra bucks into an executive’s pocket. This article will examine the five classic movies that came out in the 1980s that should never get the reboot treatment.
Blue Velvet
Equal parts weird, intense, intriguing, and complex, Blue Velvet is a gem that only David Lynch can make. Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Laura Dern, and Dennis Hopper, when Jeffrey Beaumont returns home after his father has a stroke, the college student discovers a served ear in an abandoned field; The amateur sleuth and the detective’s daughter, Sandy Williams, team up to solve the mystery. What follows is a dark, twisted tale involving a mysterious lounge singer and a sexually depraved psychopath. Kyle MacLachlan shines as the amateur detective exploring such a strange world; however, Dennis Hopper’s Frank Booth steals the show thanks to his committed performance. The villain is never fully explained but Frank is a compelling antagonist that pops whenever he’s on-screen.
Do The Right Thing
Arguably one of the most important pieces that Spike Lee has made, Do The Right Thing explores the world of a young black man and tackles racism, namely the love and hate that individuals have in a neighborhood. Whether it’s Sal, Mookie, Buggin Out, Radio Raheem, or Smiley, you understand the point of view from these colorful characters and feel the love, pain, sadness, and anger that these men and women feel throughout the course of the movie. Nominated for two Academy Awards, the tension escalates when Buggin’ Out gets upset when he sees that Sal’s Wall of Fame has only Italian actors, noting that the pizzeria is in a black neighborhood thus it should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin’ Out and others in the community, and tensions rise. Like David Lynch, Spike Lee has his own style that separates him from other directors in the world. Do The Right Thing is a timeless film that has a significant cultural impact on the filmmaking world.
Back to the Future
Never mind the fact that once Marty returns home, his mother and father don’t remember meeting their son in their teenage years as Back to the Future is too damn good to get caught up in those minor details. Nominated for four Academy Awards, Back to the future stars Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, a small-town California teen who’s sent back into the 50s when an experiment by scientist Emmett Brown goes awry. Marty encounters the young version of his parents and has to make sure that they fall in love or he’ll cease to exist. A fun family film (with a couple of naughty jokes here and there) that has a likable protagonist and a simple story despite the sci-fi element. Back to the Future is another film that is still talked about in popular culture today. Other than that minor issue presented in the beginning, how do improve upon a film that’s nearly perfect?
The Shining
While Stephen King probably wouldn’t mind if another director took a crack at adapting this classic novel, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is arguably the best King adaption to date. Starring the legendary Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, Jack Torrance hopes to cure his writer’s block by becoming a caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado. Unfortunately, Jack’s writing goes nowhere and son Danny has disturbing visions about the hotel; Slowly, Jack descends into madness following his discovery of the hotel’s darkest secrets, which puts his wife and son in danger. Though the movie deviates from the book, The Shining is still a compelling and intense thriller that is guided by the performances of both Nicholson and Duvall, and helped with Kubrick’s wonderful direction.
Blade Runner
A cult classic that was misunderstood when it first came out in 1982. Starring Harrison Ford and Sean Young, this Ridley Scott piece is about Deckard, who’s forced to continue his old job as a Replicant Hunter. Before starting his new gig, Deckard goes to the Tyrell Corporation and meets the stunning Rachel, a Replicant girl he falls in love with. In addition to being a visual treat, Blade Runner is a complex film that deeply explores paranoia and technism. Slow, but never boring, this masterpiece can hold up to any dystopian film today and easily blows away most of the competition.A Nightmare on Elm StreetSpike Lee
Follow Us
